Floor Lifts

A floor lift, often called a Hoyer lift, takes a person's full weight in a sling and moves them between bed, chair, commode and, where needed, up from the floor.

Who a floor lift is for

Someone who cannot bear weight through their legs, or cannot assist with a transfer at all. If the person can stand with help and hold on, a sit-to-stand lift is usually quicker and better for maintaining their strength.

Choosing wrongly between the two is the most common and most expensive mistake in this category. Tell us what the person can do unaided and we will tell you which applies.

It is usually bought for the carer

Families rarely buy a lift because the person being moved asked for one. They buy it because whoever is lifting them cannot keep doing it.

Manual transfers are the commonest cause of injury among people caring at home, and once a spouse or an adult child hurts their back, home care usually ends. A lift is often what keeps someone in their own house.

What to check before buying

Clearance under the bed. The legs of a floor lift must pass underneath the bed frame. This is the single commonest reason a lift will not work in a room, and it is worth measuring before anything else.

Floor space. The lift needs room to manoeuvre with someone in it, and somewhere to live between transfers. In a small bedroom that matters as much as the specification.

Manual or powered base. The legs splay to fit around a chair or under a bed. On a manual base that is done with a foot pedal or lever, on a powered base with a button, which is far easier for a carer with limited strength.

Capacity. Standard lifts commonly rate around 450 lbs, with bariatric models above that. Check the sling is rated to match.

The sling is half the equipment

The sling is what actually holds the person. Sizes and designs differ for full body support, toileting access and amputee use, and a sling from one manufacturer does not necessarily suit another maker's lift.

We supply the correct sling with the lift and show you how to fit it. See slings.

Buy, rent or refurbished

Renting suits recovery, palliative care, or the weeks after a discharge while longer-term arrangements are made. For a permanent need, buying costs less over time, and refurbished lifts come with brand new batteries and a one year warranty on most equipment.

We show you how to use it

We deliver, set the lift up and demonstrate safe operation and sling fitting before leaving. Using a lift confidently is largely a matter of having been shown properly once.